Founding a company in Switzerland: the practical 2026 checklist

Switzerland registers hundreds of new companies every working day. The mechanics of joining them are well trodden: pick a form, secure a name, deposit capital where required, sign the deed, and wait for the register entry. Here is the sequence in practice, with the register realities behind each step.

1. Choose the legal form

• Sole proprietorship (Einzelfirma): no minimum capital, fastest start, full personal liability. Register entry becomes mandatory at CHF 100,000 annual revenue.
• GmbH / Sarl: CHF 20,000 minimum capital, limited liability, the most common form for new Swiss companies today.
• AG / SA: CHF 100,000 minimum capital (at least CHF 50,000 paid in), the form of choice where investors, share transfers or anonymity of ownership matter.

The register itself shows where Switzerland has settled: the GmbH is now the most common form ahead of the AG, with sole proprietorships close behind. Which form fits you depends mostly on liability, capital and how you plan to grow.

2. Check the name before you fall in love with it

Company names must be distinguishable from existing entries, and name disputes are an avoidable founding mistake. Check the register for identical and confusingly similar names before ordering business cards. Regista's free name check searches all register entries at once.

3. The founding steps in order

1. 1Draft the articles of association (statutes). For GmbH and AG the founding deed must be notarised.
2. 2Open a capital deposit account (Kapitaleinzahlungskonto) at a bank and deposit the capital. The bank issues the confirmation the notary needs.
3. 3Sign the public deed at the notary; the notary files the application with the cantonal commercial register office.
4. 4Wait for the register entry. The entry, and its publication in the SOGC, is the moment your company legally exists towards third parties.
5. 5After registration: the capital account is released, and you handle VAT registration (mandatory from CHF 100,000 revenue), AHV/social insurance registration as an employer, and any sector permits.

4. Where you found matters less than you think, but check anyway

Cantonal tax differences are real, but for most small founders the practical differences at founding are modest, and the register process is the same everywhere. If location is part of your decision, compare how actively companies are being founded around you: Regista's canton pages show, for each of the 26 cantons, the current register totals, recent formations and the legal-form mix, from the official data.

5. After founding: your entry is public, use that

From day one, your register entry is public data: partners, suppliers and clients will look you up. Make sure the entry is accurate, and know that service providers will find you the moment you are published in the SOGC. That works in your favour too: the same public stream tells you which companies were just founded around you, and which of your counterparties change or wind up.